43
Youngstown Playhouse's 'Mamma Mia' earns standing ovation
By Eric McCrea
Youngstown Playhouse, here we go again. The much anticipated “Mamma Mia!” sold out on opening night and ABBA-solutely earned a standing ovation.
“Mamma” was written using familiar Swedish pop songs like “Dancing Queen,” “Honey Honey” and “Take a Chance on Me” among many others from the ABBA discography, with a story that tries to integrate these hits into a musical.
The story finds Sophie Sheridan, played by Cortney MacKay, living and working at her mother’s Greek resort, and about to be married. Unfortunately, Sophie never knew who her father was, but some snooping in an old diary reveals that there are three paternal possibilities. She secretly invites all three to her wedding, hoping she will figure out who should be walking her down the aisle.
Things get complicated, though, when she inadvertently asks each of them to be her wedding escort.
Difficult decisions weigh on Sophie while her mother figures out what’s going on.
This show relied heavily on nostalgia, but used a cute plot to tie it all together.
Strong themes of feminism and independence were a nice touch, and director Donna Smith Downie found a huge cast and added a ton of laughs.
MacKay’s performance was nearly flawless. Her voice is soft and delicately precise, but with power to back it up. The drama is light in this script, but MacKay made easy work of what was given to her.
Lois A. Schneider played matriarch Donna Sheridan and she carried many of the scenes. Her timing was great and her chemistry with her cohorts was noticeable.
Tina Cummings and Jill Cataldi were a riot as Donna’s besties Tanya and Rosie, respectively. They played off each other and supported Schneider like pros.
Playing the three possible fathers were Christopher Fidram, Robert Kozar and Alan McCreary. These local stars, perhaps together for the first time, were clearly having a blast performing with each other, and their fun antics made the trio very popular with the audience.
A large ensemble made sure that bigger numbers had a lot going on visually, but the sound wasn’t exactly overwhelming. Harmonies from the chorus were more prevalent when utilized offstage as backup for the main characters.
The set was well done, with two large pieces being the focus. The finish on the walls and the color choices were exceptional, and their versatility was brilliant.
Lighting used a bold palette but relied too much on technology. Moving lights and shapes were constant and bordered on silly.
Many aspects of “Mamma Mia” are more like a concert than a musical, but this was very obvious during the third act or curtain call, which lasted for three songs.
Costumes done by Therese Pitzulo were elaborate and shiny, and the sheer volume of them was jaw-dropping.
“Mamma Mia” can be seen at the Youngstown Playhouse Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 2:30p.m. until Dec 9. For reservations, call 330-788-8739.